Wet and WildWill Thompson | First Published: October 2009

Where did this horrible weather come from?

It’s funny; we get used to the windless cold days of winter, and expect spring to be warm sunny days. Instead we just get cold windy days. I tell you what I’d much rather the cold without the wind, so bring back winter!

I guess we are just in that transitional period between the cold and the hot and wind is just something we have to put up with in a Victorian spring. Despite the usual cold wet weather we have been having, there has been the odd days of very fishable weather scattered through out.

INSIDE

The Australian salmon are still around in good numbers throughout the McLoughlins and Manns beach entrances. The Manns entrance has probably been producing better sized salmon more consistently. I’ve heard of some real beauties up to 2kg. Most of the salmon are being caught on soft plastics and metal lures. 25-40g are perfect weights for a metal lure, whilst if you’re using plastics for salmon and tailor, use jig head sizes of around 1/6 oz to 1/4oz.

The flathead are becoming more frequent now, and should be inside the estuary in large numbers through November. So far, the biggest flathead seem to be around 35cm, but like I said any week, all will change and the big females will enter the system.

Currently the jetties are producing some good catches of these flathead, so you land-based anglers should have no excuses. Pipis and bluebait have been very successful as well has soft plastics.

The mullet are also around in large numbers, and the bait anglers chasing an early season whiting or flathead are the main people catching the mullet. A bit of berley and you will have no trouble catching a feed.

The silver trevally are around, however because of all the rain, the water at McLoughlins has been slightly discoloured, limiting the number of lure anglers. Most of the trevally have been taken as a by-catch by bait anglers chasing flathead. As soon as the water clears up, I’m sure there will be some thumping big trevally caught by the plastics guys.

OFFSHORE

There’s a lot of gummies around, especially in close to the entrance. The problem has been getting out, however most anglers I’ve spoken to have managed a gummy shark or two. The average has been around 6kg, so they’re all pretty good fish.

There’s also plenty of good sized flathead offshore, much better sized than inside. Snapper Snatchers and Flashers seem to be the most popular thing to use these days on the flatties offshore.

You just need to add some bait such as pilchard or squid and you should have no troubles catching a good bag of flathead.

The snapper should be around in good numbers, so expect some ripper reports to come.

For more information, Contact Will Thompson at his all new bigger and better Allways Angling Tackle Store. You will get some fantastic deals and expert advice.

Ph. 51748544

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Matt Smith shows off one of a couple of 4.5kg gummies caught on fresh salmon fillet.